Behaviour ‘disgusting’
Rachel MacGregor has slammed her former employer Colin Craig for his ‘‘disgusting’’ behaviour during the 2014 election campaign.
The former Conservative Party leader and his former press secretary are counter-suing each other for defamation at the High Court in Auckland.
The pair’s relationship soured during 2014 when MacGregor resigned from her position two days before the general election.
They both claim the other made public comments after the fallout, which amounted to defamation.
The trial, which began last week, has canvassed much of the pair’s now well-known ‘‘emotional affair’’ which took place between 2011 and 2014.
Yesterday, Craig began his second day cross-examining MacGregor, which involved the pair going to headto-head over how the 2014 election campaign was run.
MacGregor refused to look at Craig while answering his questions.
She told the court she felt uncomfortable during the lead-up to the election as Craig would make her stay in the same accommodation as him.
MacGregor said she had repeatedly asked Craig if they could stay in separate accommodation while they travelled the country on the election trail.
‘‘I did not want to be at the same accommodation as you,’’ she said.
‘‘You consistently made it impossible to be in a different place than you ... It was disgusting.’’
She asked Craig if they could fly to certain locations instead of driving, as it would save time, she said. However, Craig disagreed. Craig asked MacGregor in court whether there were times it would have been quicker and more economical to drive, rather than fly, to some provincial centres.
‘‘I remember specifically saying to you this is not some family road trip as you are making it out to be,’’ MacGregor said.
‘‘This is a professional and employment relationship.
You would always took the longest way possible.
‘‘You would want to drive with me alone in the car for hours and hours on end.
‘‘You were trying to tell me you didn’t have enough money to pay for direct flights and it was somehow quicker to drive.’’
Later, while being quizzed by Craig on another point, MacGregor said: ‘‘I refuse to be revictimised, and revictimised by you, Mr Craig’’.
On the day she resigned in 2014, MacGregor filed a claim of sexual harassment against her former boss with the Human Rights Commission.